The Place for Jersey City News
Log In / Register
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
Jersey City Times
  • News
  • Diversions
    • Performing Arts
    • Visual Arts
    • Other Fun Stuff
  • In Our Midst
  • Food And Drink
  • Education
  • Neighborhoods
    • Downtown
      • News
      • Guide
    • Heights
      • News
      • Guide
    • Journal Square
      • News
      • Guide
    • Bergen Lafayette
      • News
      • Guide
    • Greenville
      • News
      • Guide
    • Westside
      • News
      • Guide
  • Opinion
  • Columns
    • Eye Level
    • Mamarama
  • Event Calendar
  • Support our Mission
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
20191012_125039
Alison Mirenda

Officials Promise an End to School Water Fountain Saga

February 6, 2020/in header, Latest News, News /by Alison Mirenda

15 Jersey City public schools and facilities were set to have their water fountains lead free and operating by November, but they remain shut off. Now these fountains—plus those in 25 of the district’s other schools that had been inactivated due to threats from lead—are scheduled to be back on by March 1.

“This past November, the district had a press release saying that the fountains will be opened in 30 days, but I went back to McNair in December over break, and there was no progress being made,” said Harshal Rajesh Agrawal, a recent McNair high school graduate and local activist on the issue.

Agrawal questions why the repairs took so long.

“Given common sense and my limited technical understanding of the situation, I would think the fountains at McNair should’ve been opened a few months ago. The filters were installed and tested and the results came back clean.”

It turns out that Agrawal’s assessment was correct.

“The water pipes coming into McNair were all resolved a while ago, and there was no work required by the JCMUA,” said Hudson County Freeholder Joel Torres in an email.

“The reason for the delay was that there were fountains in other schools that still needed to be reviewed to make sure they were fully remediated. The superintendent didn’t want to do a piecemeal type of process and wanted to turn on the fountains in every school at the same time. Therefore, they’re finalizing this review to turn them on this month,” Torres added.

The city has spent $1,800,000 on bottled water since lead was first detected in the schools in 2006, and the board has not said how much more these remaining repairs and related purchases will wind up costing.

“It could be as low as $4-$5 million. It could be as high as $15 million,” said former Board President Sudhan Thomas in November 2019.

Tags: Board of Education, Jersey City Board of Education, Jersey City Public School District, Jersey City Public Schools, Joel Torres, Lead, Water
Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • Share on Pinterest
  • Share on LinkedIn
You might also like
20191012_125039 Board of Education Candidates Forum Video from October 10, 2019
Education: “We Want to Go Home!”
Understanding Your Property Taxes
Your Property Taxes and School Funding
20191012_125039 Editorial: Joan Terrell-Paige Should Resign
Charges of Political Opportunism and Racism Dominate As City Council Approves Board of Education Referendum
Jersey City: The Municipality’s Role in School Under-Funding
Parents Plea for Funding as Schools Parents Plea for Funding as Schools Face Massive Budget Gap

News Briefs

Assemblyman Nicholas A. Chiaravalloti (D-Hudson) is joining Governor Phil Murphy at Hudson County Community College in Jersey City for the signing of Bill A4410 / S2743, which will permanently codify the Community College Opportunity Grant Program into law. Students enrolled in any of the state’s 18 community colleges may be able to have their tuition waived. Students must be enrolled in at least six credits per semester and have an adjusted gross income of $0 -$65,000 in order to be considered. 

Jersey City Library Director Jeffrey Trzeciak is leaving to take a job in his hometown, Dayton, Ohio after serving for just 15 months.

An ordinance creating a Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) scheduled for introduction this week has been pulled, pending further discussions.

Ahmad Broadway, age 26, of Jersey City, pleaded guilty to charges related to his involvement in the January 11, 2019 shooting inside the Newport Centre Mall in Jersey City that injured two people. 

The Hudson County Regional Arson Task Force and the Jersey City Fire Department are investigating a two-alarm fire that killed an 84-year-old woman Thursday morning at 270 Clerk Street in Jersey City. 

Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez has announced the indictment of three people in connection with the July 6, 2020 fatal shooting of 17-year-old Tyeah Garner on Rutgers Avenue in Jersey City. Heavenley Cherry, 19, and Jahquell Carter, 25, both of Jersey City, were charged with Murder and other related crimes. Izmae Tinker-Trent, 19, of Jersey City, was charged with Hindering a Murder Investigation.  

The Jersey City Education Association has started a GoFundMe campaign to support the family of 11-year-old Desire Reid and eight-month old Kenyon Robinson who died in a house fire on Martin Luther King Drive on Wednesday night. Here is the link.

Vaccine-eligible individuals can make an appointment online by visiting hudsoncovidvax.org.

The 2021 tree planting applications are available. If you have an empty tree pit on your block or a street you can fill out the form and the city’s arborists will handle it.  bit.ly/adoptatreespri…

Keep abreast of Jersey City Covid-19 statistics here.

Governor Murphy has launched a “Covid Transparency Website” where New Jerseyans can track state expenditures related to Covid.  Go here.

For info on vaccinations, call Vaccination Call Center and our operators will assist you with scheduling one: 855-568-0545

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upcoming Events

Sat 27

Walk-Bye Kids’ Photo Challenge

February 27
Jersey City NJ
United States
Sat 27

Black History Month Group Exhibition

February 27
Jersey City NJ
United States
Sat 27

Still I Rise Exhibition

February 27 @ 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sat 27

Paulus Hook Farmer’s Market

February 27 @ 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Jersey City NJ
United States
Sat 27

The Empowering: A Social Justice Exhibition Curated by Danielle Scott

February 27 @ 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Jersey City NJ
United States

View More…

CONTACT US

    ADS/INFO

    For information on advertising opportunities, please contact - ads@jcitytimes.com

    For information on writing opportunities, please contact - info@jcitytimes.com

    Download our media kit here

    ABOUT US

    About Jersey City Times

    Contact Jersey City Times

    Social

    Archive

    • February 2021
    • January 2021
    • December 2020
    • November 2020
    • October 2020
    • September 2020
    • August 2020
    • July 2020
    • June 2020
    • May 2020
    • April 2020
    • March 2020
    • February 2020
    • January 2020
    • December 2019
    • November 2019
    • October 2019
    Copyright © 2020 JCityTimes.com. All Rights Reserved - powered by Enfold WordPress Theme
    Artist’s Diorama Begs the Question: ‘What Quality of Life?’ in Greenv... What Quality of Life Cheryl Gross Art Review: Cheryl Gross and Andrea McKenna at the Eonta Space
    Scroll to top
    Subscribe to Our Newsletter

    Support Jersey City Times WITH A MONTHLY CONTRIBUTION

    for the price of a tall coffee at Starbucks!